Venting bung



Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED/STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTING BUNG Clovis T. Mirassou, Los Gatos, Calif.

Application March 23, 1948, Serial No. 16,600

1 Claim.

invention relates to an improved bung for admitting sterilized air to a barrel when the liquid contents are withdrawn therefrom.

.sin object of the present invention is to provide improved venting bung for normally excluding air from a barrel but which is capable of admitting sterilized air to the inside of the barrel when the liquid contents are Withdrawn theretrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide an impr ved sterilizing device for the venting of wine barrels or the like from which portions of the contents are withdrawn from time to time, the said device being capable of preventing the deterioration of the Wine remaining in the barrel by steri iving the air admitted thereto each time a portion of the contents is Withdrawn.

Other and further object of my invention Will pointed out hereinafter, or Will be indicated in the appended claim or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this app 'cation I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of a barrel venting bung representative ci invention; it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. i is a longitudinal sectional view of a venting bung embodying my invention, showing the same operatively positioned in a suitable hole provided in a barrel; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

A bung constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a tapered body l made preferably from Wood, although other suitable material may be used in its construction. The tapered body is adapted to t in a suitable hole 2 provided in a barrel 3.

The tapered body is provided with a small axial bore i which communicates with a tapered counterbore 5, the latter being arranged with its smaller end joining the small bore l and its larger end opening through the smaller 'end of the body l. The connected bores and constitute an axial channel through which outside air may enter the inside of the barrel as the contents are drawn therefrom.

Slidably extending through the small bore 4 and partially through the counterbore 5 is a stem 6 having a head 'l provided on its outer exposed 2 end. A helical tension spring 8 interposed between the head 'i and the upper or larger end of the body l urges the stem in an upward direction.

Secured to the stem and arranged in suitably spaced relation to each other are tapered valve members 9 and lil of unequal size. The smaller valve member 9 is adapted to closely fit against the sides of the upper end portion of the counter bore 5 and the larger valve member lll is adapted to closely iit against the sides of the lower end portion of the said counterbore,

A quantity of porous sterilizing material l l iills the space in the tapered counterbore 5 between the valve members Si and l). The sterilizing material may consist of a suitable porous carrier such as cotton which is impregnated with a suitable sterilizing agent such as sulphur dioxide When the Wine is being draWn from the barrel 3 the head l oi the stem 6 is depressed to cause the valve members 9 and l! to become unseated or disengaged with respect to the sides of the counterbore, thereby allowing outside air to be drawn through the bung and into the barrel. In passing through the porous carrier l l in the counterbore 5 the air is filtered and sterilized before it enters the barrel. Since the air entering the barrel does not carry bacteria or other oganisms which ordinarily Cause the deterioration of wine, there is but little likelihood of that portion of the Wine remaining in the barrel becoming spoiled.

It will be noted that when the manual pressure on the head B of the stem 6 is removed both valve members 9 and it are automatically carried by the action of the spring 3 to engaging positions with respect to the sides of the tapered counterbore 5, thereby closing the ends of the latter. When the counterbore 5 is thus closed by the valve members S and lll, outside air cannot enter either the counterbore or the barrel, nor can the sulphurous gas from the sterilizing material Il escap-e intothe outer atmosphere or into the barrel. By confining the sulphurous gas when the device is not being operated to admit sterilized air to the interior of the barrel, the said device is maintained in a primed condition ready for immediate use Whenever wine is to be Withdrawn from the barrel.

If so desired the spring 8 may be tensioned so that the valve members 9 and I0 may automatically open when the contents of the barrel are being drawn therefrom.

What I claim is:

A barrel venting bung comprising body for normally closing a vent hole in a barrel, a Vent opening extending through the body, a portion of 2,468,340 3 the opening having tapered Walls, a shiftable stem REFERENCES CITED extending partially through the opening and having a head on its outer end, a pair of spaced valve lrhf fligwgererences are of lecold m the members carried by the stem, the said Valve members normally engaging with the tapered Walls, a 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS carrier of sterilzing material in the tapered por- Number Name Date tion of the opening between the valve members, 666 844 Burgholz Jan 29 1901 and a tension spring positioned between the body and the head of the stem. FOREIGN PATENTS 0 Number Country Date CLOVIS T- MIRASSOU- 17,441 Great Britain Aug. 7, 1896 

